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Mauser Stripper Clips

This is a topic that comes up with some frequency here, and which vexed me in earlier years. I've adapted this from an earlier post of mine in response to an inquiry concerning Argentine clips.
Let me know what you think, and if you spot any mistakes!

Mauser Stripper Clips

Following its formal introduction by Paul Mauser in 1889, the Mauser stripper clip eventually assumed four distinct forms.

From left to right, these clips fit models 89-91, 93/95, 96, and 98, respectively.

Models 1889-1891

The 89-91 Mausers use a narrow clip with no bumps on the sides, which is retained by the extended bolt release.

A loaded clip of 7.65x53 Belgian along with two unloaded ones.

My 1891 Argentine with a clip of 7.65x53 Belgian ready to load.

Note how the bolt release lever applies pressure to keep the clip in place.

Here you can see the notch in the bolt release, along with the absence of machining to accept the bumps on later clips. This configuration is typical of a rifle that uses the 89-91 style clip.

Models 1893-1895

The 93 and 95 Mausers use a much wider clip with two bumps on each side which correspond to grooves machined into the receiver's stripper clip bridge.

One 1893/95 clip loaded with 7x57, and two empties. Note the two bumps stamped into the body on each side of the clip.

A clip of 7x57 ready to load into my 1908 Brazilian.

The V-shaped recesses in the stripper clip bridge accommodate the bumps on the clip.

Model 1896

The 96 Swede uses a clip sized to accommodate the slightly larger rim diameter of the 6.5x55 (.48" compared to roughly .47" for all the other cartridges listed). The two bumps per side on these clips are noticeably larger than those of the 93 and 95 type, but the width itself is identical. These are typically marked on the reverse.

A 96 clip loaded with 6.5 Japanese. I do not own a Swedish Mauser yet, but the two cartridges have similar rims.

Ready to load a Type 38 Arisaka (not a Mauser, I know!) with a 96 clip.

Model 1898

Finally, the 1898 Mauser uses a style with 3 bumps per side and similar body width (without accounting for the bumps) as the 89-91 type. It is slightly shorter than the 89-91 design.

A clip of 1950s Yugoslavian SS ball. This ammo often comes packed on these excellent clips. The next two clips, from left to right, are 1 piece Turkish, which were based on the original Imperial German design. These are functional, but not as smooth and refined as the two piece clips, such as the earlier Turkish clip to the right and the Czech clip at the far right. The 98 style has the most variants, although all fit the same stripper clip bridge.

My Gewehr 98, ready to be loaded with 50s Yugoslavian 8x57.

Further Observations

Most military Mausers are chambered in 8x57, 7x57, 7.65x53 Belgian, 6.5x55 Swedish, 7.62x63 (.30-06), or 7.62x51. Of these, all but the 6.5x55 have rims measuring approximately .47". The .47" rims fit fine in any clip, albeit a bit loosely in the 96 style, but the .48" rims of 6.5x55 will only enter a smaller clip with significant friction. Since they are largely the same, the 96 clip will generally work well in 93/95 Mausers, but the proper 93/95 clips fit better due to the larger bumps on the Swede clips not always seating fully in the earlier designs. These are the only two designs capable of some interchangeability without modification.

Also, 96 clips happen to work well in the 6.5 and 7.7 Arisakas, given their slightly greater rim sizes. The 93/95 clip is unsatisfactory in this area due to the 6.5 Japanese's semi rim.
Too, the 93/95/96 clips excel in the American bolt action 1903 and 1917 service rifles, whose original clips are pricy as well as being inferior in both design and function.

A 98 clip may well work in an 89-91 action if you were to file the bumps off, but I cannot confirm this. Given their otherwise similar similar dimensions, this would be a cheap option to explore with inexpensive Yugoslavian clips.

Furthermore, nations which bought earlier models of Mauser rifles tended to retain the older rifle's charger system when adopting new rifles. Thus, the 1893 Turkish Mauser, as manufactured, uses the 1890 Turk's bump-less clip. Likewise, the 1908 (98 action) Brazilian uses the 1894 (93 action) Brazilian's two-bump clip, as does the 1909 Argentine and 1909 Peruvian use the same bump-less clip as the 1891 Argentine and Peruvian rifles.

Turkish Mausers, upon conversion to 8x57 in the 1930s, were converted to use the 98 clip.

In my experience, I would rate the larger 93/95/96 clips as the best for loading smoothly and positively, with the smaller 98 a close second (not counting the crummy 1 piece clips), and the bump-less 89-91 a distant third (although still miles ahead of other contemporary designs such as employed by the British Lee-Enfield and Russian M91). All of these designs are more than serviceable, and represent a great deal of history in themselves.

I know this is an old thread, but I use Swede 96 clips to feed my Ishapore 2A1 rifle in 7.62x51 NATO, with no problems. I think they would fit the 1916 Spanish Civil Guardia Mauser too, but have never tried.